"I plan to read his style and be very careful," said Banal in Pilipino after easily tipping the scales exactly at 115 lbs.

Concepcion also made the weight but not after shedding off one pound. Under WBA rules, he is given two hours to lose excess baggage and Concepcion did just that after spending an hour and a half walking under the blazing sun outside SM Cebu.

It was Concepcion, rated No. 7 by the WBA, who stepped on the scales and it registered 116 lbs. Then came Banal’s turn and the dark-skinned bomber came in at the super-fly limit in his first try.

Thinking that somebody might have messed with the scales, Concepcion immediately stepped on it seconds after Banal did and it showed the same reading, forcing him to head out to sweat it out.

Nicknamed "Bazooka" owing to his punching power, Banal said he will not hesitate to pull the trigger "the moment I see the opportunity" even if his plan is to study Concepcion before unloading.

While the 19-year-old native of this boxing-crazy province refuses to make a prediction, Banal assured his fans and followers that he is 100 percent ready for this crucial bid at becoming a legitimate world champion.

The Venezuela-based WBA downgraded this fight to an interim title bout with the confirmation of the fight for the vacant throne on Sept. 15 in Tokyo between the two leading contenders from Japan, No. 1 Kohei Kono and No. 2 Nobuo Nashiro.

Whoever wins the Banal-Concepcion war will be given an immediate shot at the regular title not later than Dec. 15.

Banal enters the ring armed with a 17-0-1 win-loss-draw card with 14 knockouts, while the 26-year-old Concepcion, fighting for the first time outside Panama, carries a 10-2-1 slate with six knockout.

Even if the fight lost some of its luster, Banal said he remains excited to climb the ring and get the job done.

"I prepared long and hard and this is the hardest I have trained since I began working out three months ago," said Banal.

Tasked to referee the fight is Raul Caiz Jr. from the US, while the three judges are Philippe Verberk of Belgium, Chalerm Prayadsab of Thailand and Francisco Martinez of New Zealand.

NOTES: Rafael Concepcion is fully aware of the track record of Filipinos and Panamanians in world title fights. "I know there is some history," said Concepcion at the dining area of the Northwinds Hotel. In 1976 at the Araneta Coliseum, Filipino Erbito Salavarria lost the WBA fly crown to Alfonso Lopez via 15th-round knockout and in 1984 at the Philsports, Dodie Boy Penalosa failed in a bid to dethrone Hilario Zapata as WBA fly king on a lopsided decision…Manny Pacquiao is as famous as Roberto "Manos de Peidras" Duran in Panama, according to Concepcion. "Duran is my idol for retired fighters while it is Pacquiao who I idolize for the modern-day boxers," said Concepcion. "Pacquiao is from another planet"…Former world bantam and world feather titlist Luisito Espinosa, now living in the US West Coast, is in town to watch the fight.